Problem Solving
by nessatea
Summary: She couldn't bring herself to desire many other things. Fortune, fame, glory - nothing enticed her as much as the idea of revenge did. As Courier Six struggles to piece together the fragments of her past, she finds that such single mindedness can only get her so far. F!Courier/Boone
1. Prologue

The Mojave was unforgiving.

She knew that for a fact.

But when she took the job, she never thought she would have found herself waking up from a coma, only to learn that she had gotten shot in the head, buried alive and somehow, miraculously survived.

Her brain was scrambled more than a lakelurk egg on a continental breakfast plate, and she couldn't remember anything, aside from her name and that she needed to find out why she was the target of an attempted murder plot.

She also knew that she wanted justice, but even more so…

Revenge.


	2. Oh, Yes I'm the Great Pretender

Other people had it worse than her. She knew that for a fact. But there were some days when Allegra thought that there couldn't possibly a fate worse than the one that she had been bestowed. It had been less than a week since she made an almost full recovery from her little altercation with the man in the checkered suit and it seemed as if trouble was following her like a shadow. Maybe it was.

She wasn't really sure how it all happened.

She had just left Primm, having dealt with the crisis there with relative ease. It wasn't anything her trusty shotgun couldn't handle, but at the end of the day, she could have gone without having to singlehandedly take out a gang of escaped convicts. For some reason, she just felt compelled to help out, even if it meant potentially finding herself on the wrong end of a varmint rifle.

Allegra didn't remember much about anything, really. Well, more like anything that went beyond the past week. All she could recall was the man in the checkered suit. Sometimes when she slept, she could still hear his smug little speech, his words flowing out of his mouth like velvet. She'd wake up, not in a cold sweat but in a fiery rage. She wanted revenge and she wanted it bad.

It didn't take much for her to leave Goodsprings after Doc Mitchell had patched her up, though she did stick around to deal with the Powder Gangers that were causing some trouble. It was really the least she could do. It was a nice enough town with nice enough people, but the Strip called to her louder than any old mattress in a rundown trailer could ever do. She figured she'd go back to visit after she was finished with her business. After all, how hard would it be to track down a guy like the one who shot her?

Not everyone in the Mojave had a fashion sense as tacky as he did.

She didn't have much time to think about insults she could use against the guy. Allegra was much too busy dealing with the affairs of other people to do that. She couldn't resist offering to help people out, regardless of the task at hand. Her next problem was finding a new sheriff for Primm. She couldn't understand why Beagle couldn't have just done it himself, but she figured he was just that sort of guy, the kind to ride on other people's success rather than do anything on his own. He sure seemed that way after she saved his ass from the Bison Steve.

Regardless, Allegra wanted to make sure that the town had a decent law enforcer on duty. She decided it would be best to get Slimm to do the job. After all, he _was _a Protectron. It was in his programming. It just seemed like the most viable choice. After rewiring a few things, he was fit and ready to serve as Primm's new sheriff.

After that situation was dealt with, Allegra couldn't see any other reason to stick around. The hotel was littered with bodies and she was never one for gambling. Maybe she would've stayed if the roller coaster was still in working order. However, she noted that she should come back for the robot, if she had the time and the resources.

Johnson Nash had directed her to go through Nipton to get to Novac, and so that's where she was headed. She ran into a bit of trouble on her way there - a few ghouls and a handful of Vipers later and Allegra found herself sprawled out under the cover of a cactus, rummaging through one of the Doctor's Bags that Doc Mitchell had given her, fixing up her left leg and her right arm. She used up a stimpak and took a dose of Med-X for good measure.

She decided to be more careful from there on out, sneaking in the shadows to avoid aggravating any potential enemies. She also wanted to conserve some ammo, just in case she ran into any more Vipers on her way between Nipton and Novac. She would probably be able to get some supplies in Nipton and depending on the time of arrival, she would also probably need to stay the night. Allegra didn't like traveling alone at night – maybe she was just paranoid. She was more than capable of taking on the average desert creature.

As she came closer and closer to Nipton, the smell of smoke hung thick in the air. It wasn't hard to miss the dark plumes of smoke that rose from the old buildings in the town ahead of her. She furrowed her brow, checking her Pip-Boy again to make sure she was in the right place. Yep, this was it, this was Nipton. Allegra frowned, pulling out her shotgun, just in case.

As she approached the small town, she noted the flags that now hung around the perimeter. What was going on? Narrowing her eyes, she could make out the figure of a person running towards her. Gripping her gun tighter, she stopped and let the person come to her.

"Yeah! Who won the lottery? I did!" the man exclaimed, wearing nothing but shorts, a shoulder piece and reading glasses.

Allegra squinted at him, wondering if maybe there was something wrong with his head. What lottery? Was he a Powder Ganger? This man just seemed too enthused about life after an apocalypse to be sane. As he spoke, her eyes looked past him, eyeing the smoke rising into the sky behind him. There was a foul stench in the air that tugged at her gut. It was familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Her stomach lurched as she dismissed him, not even bothering to look as he fled.

She took a few tentative steps into town before stopping dead in her tracks.

All she could see was death. Blood seeped into the dry earth and the smell of burning flesh hung over her head. She would've keeled over and tossed her lunch right then and there, but she didn't. Her heartbeat in her chest at an alarming rate as she debated on just skipping Nipton entirely, or staying to find out what had happened.

Allegra chose the latter. Not that she had a choice, really. The main road through the town was barricaded by a bonfire of old tires.

She walked at a slow pace, breathing heavily as her eyes darted towards the makeshift crosses and the men crucified upon them. She felt rage burn inside her as she got closer and closer to town hall. There was no saving them, and maybe that was the part that got to her the most. As fixated on revenge as she was, she still couldn't help the nagging feeling of letting someone down, even _if _they were dangerous escaped criminals. No one deserved to go like this.

All around her was death. She sneered in disgust. Who could have done this? Why? A part of her wanted to cry and another part wanted to lash out in anger – but something stopped her, or someone, rather.

"Don't worry, I won't have you lashed to a cross like the rest of these degenerates. It's useful that you happened by," the man crooned, his words dripping from his lips like drops of mercury. Cold and deadly, yet still entrancing.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she exclaimed, sneering at the man who was approaching her.

He wore a smug smile on his face. Allegra drew her gun from her back, her finger twitching on the trigger. The man rose a hand up to stop her, continuing his speech. "I want you to witness the fate of the town of Nipton. To memorize every detail. And then, when you move on?"

As he spoke, Allegra surveyed her surroundings. She would be an idiot if she thought that she stood a chance against people who could do this type of damage. She realized then why people spoke so 'fondly' of the Legion – or at least that's what she assumed they were. He was still talking. "I want you to teach everyone the lesson that Caesar's Legion taught here. Especially any NCR troops you run across."

With her suspicions confirmed, she also realized that they weren't going to kill her. Slowly putting her gun back, she pursed her lips, still seething. How could they have done this? Now, she didn't know the next thing about this town, but surely they didn't deserve a fate such as this. Was everyone dead? There was a distinct ache in her chest, but she couldn't put a finger on why.

Allegra didn't want to stick around this place a minute longer, but she felt obligated to ask just what 'lessons' the Legion had taught. She knew it wouldn't be anything good, nor would it be very educational to begin with. The man went on and on, obviously thinking very highly of what he had done. It disgusted her. It filled her with such loathing that she was sure that she was going to lose her composure and do something stupid.

Fists clenched and eyes locked on the ground, Allegra growled. "I've heard enough."

She couldn't stand to hear him go on any longer. He was probably smirking now, glad that she was playing right into his hands. She really didn't have a choice and she really wasn't in the mood to die today. She had a few more bridges to burn first. Allegra moved her gaze to match his, steely blue eyes burning with hate.

"I'll do ask you ask."

He let out a small sound of approval, crossing his arms over his chest. "Then I bid you vale – until we meet again."

She didn't even have a chance to reply before he walked away, going on to other perhaps more important business. Her hand hovered over her shotgun once more before she caught the gaze of one of the other legionaries, throwing spear at the ready. She gulped, looking to the ground as she dismissed herself. Allegra felt a wave of nausea wash over her. There was no way she was going to puke up her guts here. She had her dignity.

She was nearing the edge of town when she finally realized she was being followed. Stopping dead in her tracks, Allegra gulped. She felt a warm breath on her neck. She wanted to throw up even more. "I don't believe I caught your name, profligate."

Her lip twitched. "Allegra Dawn."

There was a long pause.

"Ah, very well. You may address me as Vulpes Inculta, if we are ever to meet again," he said, his voice sending shivers up her spine. "Which I am sure we will.

Allegra remained silent, shaking her head a bit as she moved along, her mouth running dry.

As soon as she was out of sight, she hunched over, spilling the contents of her stomach over the dry Mojave dirt. She hated it. The smell of death. The sight of it. Of course, she had killed before – but at least those deaths were justified. Or at least that's what she told herself. It was all in self defense. Meaningless mass murders were a whole different story. She cringed at the thought of meeting Vulpes again. What would the circumstances be? Somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind, she hoped that it would include her holding a gun to his head. Now, _that _would be a justifiable death.

Allegra sighed, plopping herself down by a rock. She opened her pack, extracting a bottle of purified water. She swished the warm liquid in her mouth for a moment before spitting it back out, doing her best to rid the taste of vomit from her mouth. Her next stop was obviously Novac, but it seemed like such a ways away. She was hoping to stay in Nipton for the night, but obviously that was out of the question. Shutting her eyes, Allegra tried to recall the events prior to her getting shot, but everything came up blank.

Was this all even worth it?

She had the notion that if she found the guy that shot her as well as the Platinum Chip that everything would suddenly be okay. That was nothing but wishful thinking. Getting a poker chip back from a guy in an ugly suit would only satisfy her for so long. Without any memory of her life before the 'accident', was there really a point?

Heaving another breath, she got up, adjusting her pack. There was no use in thinking negatively. She would get her revenge, or at least die trying. The man in the checkered suit would get what was coming to him – and maybe, if she had time… So would Vulpes. However, she stored her thoughts of revenge against the Legion away. She didn't have the strength to take on an entire army, not alone at least. Of course, getting caught in the middle of a political war was not something she wanted to do.

She scoffed a bit and shook her head. She had wasted too much time already. Once last glance at her map and she was off.


	3. Pretending That I'm Doing Well

Allegra was scuffed up pretty badly.

She hadn't thought it would have been so hard to get from point A to point B, but it was the Mojave and she should have known better. Her head pounded and her vision blurred as she shuffled away from Ranger Station Charlie, relieved to see that the town of Novac was in plain sight. It was already quite late and most of the townsfolk had already retreated to the warmth and solitude of their respective homes. Allegra hoped there would be somewhere to crash for the night.

Popping another Med-X, she chose to give herself more serious medical attention once she had a definite place to rest. She needed it. The Vipers were stronger than she expected and she had run low on Stimpaks before she got to the Ranger station.

A large part of the town was made up of old houses. There was a rundown Helios gas station, an average sized tent that served as a small cafeteria location and a large building that looked to be an old motel. It stood in the shadow of a large cast iron dinosaur and was only distinguished by a dimly lit sign that said, 'No Vac.' Allegra figured it would be the best place to go to find a place to stay. Before sliding into the main office, she made sure to make herself look at least decent. She realized people would be less likely to offer her service if she looked like a raider.

She was happy to see someone sitting behind the front desk. The woman looked up to her and greeted her with a smile. "Well. Welcome to you. You look tired from the road. Why don't you relax a spell, let this fine town take care of you?"

Allegra strained to return the smile. She wasn't exactly in the mood to exchange casual banter at the moment. "Uh… Well, I don't believe we've met yet…"

The woman gasped a bit, laughing loudly. "Oh, what am I doing? I got to thinking about making a good impression and plain forgot to tell you my name! I'm Jeannie May. I take care of the folks here at the motel. Long as they aren't trouble makers."

Nodding slightly, Allegra sighed, cutting to the point before the woman could ramble on any longer. She'd probably come back tomorrow for more information, but right now, all she wanted was a decent night's sleep. "I see… Um, I was looking to see if I could rent a room here?"

Jeannie May grinned at the prospect of a new customer. "Well, I think that's a fine idea. I'll give you a good flat rate, and you can stay as long as you like. Least till the busy season comes. Sound good?"

She wanted to roll her eyes, but figured that would be rude. Allegra just crossed her arms, nodding again. "Yep, sure, anything's fine with me."

"Perfect! Then that'll be 100 caps, please!"

Allegra scowled internally. That would leave her with half the amount of caps she had right now, but she really had no other choice, unless she wanted to spend another night roaming the wastes. Huffing quietly, she dug into her pack and quickly counted out one hundred bottle caps on the desk. Jeanie May scooped them up quickly and deposited them in a safe before popping back up, a key in hand.

"I'm glad you can stay with us. Your room will be the one upstairs, closet to the lobby side," she instructed, grinning widely. "Here's your key. Let me know if there's anything I can do to make your stay better for you."

"Alright, thanks," Allegra mumbled, still a bit put off by the new contents of her wallet – or lack thereof.

"Watch out for strangers!" was what she heard the woman say as she exited the main office.

As Allegra made her way to her room, she noticed there was a door leading to the inside of the dinosaur. She chuckled a bit, dismissing any thoughts of going to examine it. She was too tired. Allegra decided it would be best to save the time she had and use it to sleep. She flopped down on the bed, letting out a small groan as she aggravated some of her fresher wounds. She had almost forgotten about those.

Picking herself back up, she walked into the washroom, running the water before going back to her bag. She took a Rad-X before returning the tub, slipping into it slowly. The small lacerations on her body stung and would have probably been worse if she hadn't taken the Med-X prior. There wasn't much she could to but splash around and rub off some of the dirt and dried blood. It wasn't like they were just handing out free towels and Abraxo Cleaner. The Dino Dee-lite Motel wasn't a five star establishment by far.

Allegra rinsed herself off and dressed herself in the Old World clothing she found in the wardrobe. No one was going to miss it anyway. Finally, she crawled under the covers of the bed, asleep before she could even realize it.

_"Allegra? Is that you?" _

_ She was blindfolded. She had no idea who was speaking to her. Was she dreaming? She felt the fabric around her head loosen and fall down to rest on her shoulders. Her eyes burned. She couldn't see a thing. Her eyes began to water as she felt someone grab her shoulders, shaking her gently. _

_ "Allegra, please, talk to me." _

_ When she opened her mouth to speak, no words came out. _

_ She still couldn't see anything. Allegra began to whimper. Her small whimpers turned into sobs as she hunched over and cried. Why? She had no control of her body whatsoever, but she could feel everything. She could feel the heat on her face and wetness of her own tears. _

_ "We need to get you out of here," the person said. _

_ It was a man. _

_ Allegra nodded, though she didn't know where _here _was. She just wanted to get out. She had stopped crying. She was reduced to sniffling, her eyes already puffy. Her vision was still impaired, but she rose as the man took her by the hand and led her along. The light was so bright and the sun was so hot. It felt as if they were walking for days – but finally, they stopped. _

_ He put his hands on her shoulders again and gently sat her down. Allegra blinked, relaxing. Suddenly, her vision started to clear and she found herself able to see the faint outlines of people standing all around her. In a matter of moments, her vision was clear. _

_ Staring right at her was the barrel of a handgun. _

_ It shone brightly in the light of the moon. _

_ Allegra's heart raced. She knew where she was now. She tried to get up but her attempts were futile. She tried to speak but found that the fabric that was once a blindfold now served as a gag. She struggled and wriggled around, trying to get up. She felt anger well up inside her. He was not going to do this again. Allegra tried with all her strength to break free, but as soon as she heard the gun cock, she froze. _

_ "The game was rigged from the start." _

She woke up with a jolt, shooting up from her bed. It took her a few moments to realize that it was just a dream. Snarling, she grabbed the second pillow on the bed and threw it at the door. Who was the first voice? It sounded so familiar, but she couldn't put a finger on it. Her head began to throb. Allegra grumbled, debating on whether or not to take another Med-X to ease the pain. She decided against it, realizing there was no use in getting addicted to a chem only to have to pay even more to get treated.

She hated it. She hated the feeling of not being able to remember. She hated the pain she felt, both physically and mentally, when she tried to. She hated not knowing why, or how. Was she even sure she was who she thought she was? Allegra groaned, rubbing her temples to soothe her growing headache. She needed remember what was motivating her in the first place. Revenge wouldn't solve anything, but it would at least make her feel better. It was really the only goal she had. Going after this man, going after the chip – it seemed like the only logical choice. She couldn't just move on with her life wondering 'why?'

Allegra was convinced that this man had answers. She pinned him as the only person in the Mojave who knew who she was and what she was doing before she her brain got scrambled. She wanted answers just as much as she wanted revenge. It was sheer convenience that this man was the key to satiating both of those desires. It was _his _fault that she had to go to all this trouble. It was _his _fault that she felt like something was drilling through her skull every time she tried to recall her mother's face and it was _his _fault that she had to tango with death in an attempt to find him.

In the end, all she wanted was closure. She was just so confused.

She noticed that light was streaming through the window. Was it already morning? Begrudgingly, Allegra checked her Pip-Boy. It was seven in the morning. She sighed heavily. It looked as if she would have to wait another night to get some rest. Swinging her legs over the bed, Allegra put on the old Vault suit before hiking her bag over her shoulder. She left her room quietly, only stopping to hear the sound of dirt crunching under someone else's footsteps.

Allegra peeped around the wooden wall to see the figure of a man walking down the steps of the dinosaur. She remained quiet, watching as he crossed the courtyard, a sniper rifle slung behind his back. He wore sunglasses, despite it not being too sunny out, and a red beret. The rest of his outfit was pretty simple. A white t-shirt and brown cargo pants. Perhaps he was in the military? He definitely had the build for a military man.

She watched as he retreated to his motel suite, only to appear a few moments later with what looked to be a new package of cigarettes in his hand. He didn't seem to notice her as he made his way back into the dinosaur. Allegra shrugged and moved her thoughts onto something else. She wasn't exactly well rested, but at least now she had enough energy to sit through whatever Jeannie May wanted to tell her. Allegra swung open the door of the office and let herself in. She was greeted by a cheerful, "Hey there! How can I help you today?"

Flashing a small smile, Allegra waved. "Good morning! Hm… Yeah, just wanted to pop in, you know shoot the breeze a bit?"

"Wonderful! Not every day when we get new visitors, after all! Did you sleep well?" she asked.

Allegra nodded, "Like a baby. It's been a while since I've gotten to sleep in a nice bed, after all. I was wondering, is there anything of interest around these parts?"

Of course, Allegra was curious about the dinosaur, but she was really just weaseling her way into getting more information. She wanted to keep a low profile and she was pretty sure straight up asking if she had seen anyone rolling with a gang of Khans would sound at least a little bit suspicious. She felt unnatural being this hospitable and giddy, but she needed to make herself seem as friendly as possible.

Jeannie May thought for a moment. "Well, there's Dinky, the town mascot. He's a sight. You probably already saw him when you came in, but you can go up inside, too."

That was interesting. She noted to go check it out if she had the time. "Oh? Gee, that's pretty neat! I'll have to go give it a look see when I get the chance! How 'bout in town? Anything interesting happen in town lately?"

She noticed the woman quirk her brow a bit before speaking, "Well, let's see. Dusty McBride's been losing some Brahmin, but that's probably heat more than anything. Honestly, it's been real quiet… Ranger Andy's still hurt, but we got these two gentlemen snipers watching the road day and night keeping the trash out of Novac. They've been a blessing."

That explained the man coming out of the dinosaur. Allegra nodded some more, feigning interest. "Oh, I see! Also! I had a quick question for you! You see, I'm looking for a man in a checkered coat. Have you seen anyone like that around here? He might've had some friends with him."

"Well he might've been wearing a fancy outfit, but he wasn't any kind of gentlemen to me. He had his nose stuck so high in the air, you couldn't see it above the clouds. City folk, they always think they deserve better than what they got. Those hoodlums he was with seemed to know Manny for some reason. He's our daytime sniper, up in the dinosaur's mouth."

Allegra pursed her lips, satisfied to have gotten a lead out of her. She sighed loudly, signalling that their conversation was over. "Ah, well it's been nice talking to you Jeannie May! I'll stop by again sometime, you know, to see how you're doing and all. I need to be off on my way, though."

The woman smiled, nodding. "Okay, happy trails. Be careful out there!"

As Allegra exited the office for the second time, she wondered when the best time would be to see this Manny character. She had spent more time talking to Jeannie May than she had thought she would. It was still sort of early, but perhaps he had already made a switch with the night time sniper. She really had no idea how their shifts worked and wasn't about to go back into the office and ask Jeannie May.

She decided to take a chance. Even if it wasn't Manny, she would at least get a chance to ask the night time sniper if he knew anything. Allegra made her way across the courtyard, plodding up the rickety wooden steps into the Dino Dee-lite gift shop. She wasn't surprised to see that it was empty, save for a few miniature Dinky toys that were left on the table as a display, along with some general use items. The store owner was probably still asleep and no one in their right mind would feel the need to steal any of the junk in the store.

There was another set of steps that probably led to the dinosaur's mouth. Allegra wasn't quite sure if she was allowed up them but she didn't see any harm in doing so. The stairs creaked as she walked up them, old wood bending under her weight. She gulped, pushing the door open.

"Goddamn it! Don't sneak up on me like that. What do you want?" the man asked. His voice was rough and he showed little signs of actually being startled.

"Oh, shit. Sorry. I didn't mean to. I was just looking around," Allegra said, scratching the back of her neck. She looked at the expanse of desert behind him. "Nice view you got here."

He scoffed, "Yeah, well I'm not here to watch the sun rise."

Allegra chuckled a bit, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Yeah, I figured that much. Look, I'm really not here to cause trouble. I know your partner Manny has some info on a group of guys that went by here not too long ago. I was just wondering if you knew anything."

The man frowned, shaking his head. "No. I don't really give a shit about whatever goes on with Manny. You got a problem, you take it up with him."

She sighed. "Shoot. Well, what time does his shift start?"

"Nine o'clock, on the dot."

Allegra frowned.

"That's in two hours."

"Yes, I realized that."

"Are you sure you don't know anything? He never said anything at all?"

She could see him narrow his eyes behind his sunglasses. "Look, I don't know anything about these guys at all. Like I said. If you've got a problem, bring it up with Manny. I don't know and I don't care about what goes on with him."

"Well, I just thought since you guys were frie-"

He cut her off, his voice stern, "I don't have any friends around here."

"Wow, no surprise there," she huffed.

He was getting impatient. "Are you planning on sticking around here much longer or am I going to have to force you to go?"

Allegra raised her hands up in protest. "Nope, no. No need to force me to do anything. I was just passing though. You aren't really making ol' Dinky here the most accommodating attraction, anyway."

She turned heel, opening the door to leave – but he stopped her. "Wait."

There was a pause.

"I need someone I can trust. You're a stranger. That's a start."

She chuckled, not turning to face him. "Well, if you think going around asking strangers for favours is 'trust' then you seriously need to rethink your ideals."

He ignored her. "I want you to find something out for me. I don't know if there's anything to find, but I need someone to try."

Allegra then turned, raising an eyebrow at him. "I'm listening."

She couldn't help it. Every time she heard someone who needed help, she felt almost obligated to do so. She didn't even _know _this guy – but he seemed decent enough to deserve her assistance, even if his first impression left much to be desired. Hers wasn't stellar either.

"My wife was taken from our home by Legion slavers one night when I was on watch. They knew when to come and what route to take, and they only took Carla. Someone set it up. I don't know who."

She stiffened at the sound of Legion, recalling her brief encounter with one Vulpes Inculta. Pursing her lips, she nodded. "…You're trying to track down your wife?"

She noticed him tense. "My wife's dead. I want the son of a bitch who sold her."

Allegra deliberated for a moment. There was really only one thing he could have been thinking of doing. She really had no room to be appalled or disgusted by it. After all, her only real goal was to find the man who shot her, and give him a taste of his own medicine. "….What do I do if I find them?"

"Bring him out in front of the nest here while I'm on duty. I work nights. I'll give you my NCR beret to put on. It'll be our signal, so I know you're standing with him. And I'll take care of the rest. I need to do this myself."

She drew a heavy breath. "Alright. I'll see what I can do.'

He nodded slightly, taking off his beret and handing it to her. "Good. I'll make it worth your while. And one more thing. We shouldn't speak again. Not until it's over. No one in town knows that I know what happened to my wife. Best they never know. Or the Legion will be after me next."

She clutched the hat slightly, stowing it away in her pocket as she took her leave. As she stepped through the door, she peered back at him. "I didn't catch your name."

"Boone."

Was that his first name or last name? She didn't really want to waste any more of the man's time, so she gave him a small nod of recognition and left. Allegra felt sorry for him. He had lost his wife because of someone's greed. Someone who lived in the same town that he guarded every night. She was going to help him – but she just needed to figure out how.


	4. My Need is Such, I Pretend Too Much

Whoops, long delay in updates! Sorry! This is short, but better than nothing, I suppose.

* * *

Craig Boone was a man who liked things short and simple.

He was never too eloquent, nor was he superbly intelligent, but he could quickly find his way out of a bind if he really needed to.

When faced with tough decisions, Boone always took the most direct route. He shot first and never really needed to ask questions later. His gut feeling was always right.

As his shift came to a close, he packed his things up and headed back to his room in the motel. He always left right as Manny came into the nest. They never said a word to each other unless necessary. That was really only when there were incidents to report. Suffice to say, they never had anything to talk about. He only briefly remembered what that girl had asked of him when she dropped by a couple of hours before. Boone figured he owed her that, at least, for what she had agreed to do for him.

"There's a girl in town. Says she wants to ask you a few questions, just a heads up," he mumbled as he brushed passed his partner and made his way down the stairs.

Manny had no time to question him.

He was rifling through his pocket to find the key to his room when he heard the soft footsteps of someone walking on the deck above him. Pausing for a moment, he watched as one Allegra Dawn made her way down the stairs and towards the dinosaur. It looked like she had just been counting the seconds until his shift was over and Manny's shift began. He would never admit it, but he was somewhat curious as to what she wanted to ask him. Boone rid himself of the thought. Whatever it was, it was probably wasn't important – not to him, anyway. For now, all he needed was to go to sleep and go back to work in twelve hours.

Allegra hadn't gotten much out of Manny, to her displeasure. He wouldn't tell her anything until she cleared out the ghouls at the REPCONN test site. She was irritated, not really wanting to do someone else's dirty work just to get a few answers, but she really didn't have a choice. She was glad that she had a permanent place of residence for the time being, at least – especially now that she had another objective to complete.

She spent a great deal of the day meandering about, asking various townsfolk about the sniper's wife. Many described her as somewhat fickle, if not a bit snide, but always said she was a good hearted woman. Allegra figured she was just tired of being cooped up in a place like Novac, especially when there was the prospect of New Vegas not too far ahead. Of course, the Mojave was a lot more than just a dry bowl with flashing lights and casinos. Though, Carla would have never had to worry about those sorts of things, what with an NCR sniper for a husband.

She snorted at the thought of getting married – settling down. A few weeks prior? Maybe Allegra would've considered it, but not now. Her current goals just didn't seem to spell out "family". She had already been six feet under once and at this rate, there was a high chance that she could end up there again.

Despite the amount of people she had spoken to, none of them had given her enough evidence to accuse someone of trafficking Boone's wife – or at least that was what Allegra had figured. She learned more about the apparent nightly Brahmin massacres than about Carla. She was just about done her investigations as she headed back to the motel. It wasn't until she stumbled across a confused looking man. He was older and significantly more dishevelled than the usual wasteland settler. No-Bark was his name and for good reason. He was out of his mind. She approached him hesitantly and almost decided to give up but figured it would be interesting, if anything.

After stabbing threats and an in depth conversation about a chupacabra, Allegra finally asked him about Boone's wife. As it turned out, No-Bark had seen someone go into Boone's room and come back out, as well as another one entering and exiting the motel lobby. She was skeptical about trusting a man like him, but it was the closest thing she had to a lead. Allegra knew she would have to do a bit more digging before she could point any fingers.

Returning to the motel, Allegra pondered over her options. It would be easy enough to get into the lobby, where she would be able to do some snooping. She gulped over the thought of falsely accusing someone. The consequences were far greater than say, children tattling on their friends. Whoever she brought out there would die. Whoever sold Carla had to have known the sniper schedules, as well as the exact times when he would be on break. He _was _the night sniper, after all. Bringing Legion into the motel would not have been an easy job.

Night came swiftly and Allegra on the motel steps, waiting for Jeannie May to close up for the night. Allegra hoped that she would find anything incriminating, but at the same time hoped that she didn't. She clutched the First Recon Beret in her hands. All clues pointed to Jeannie May. She was in the lobby at all times. She was the only one close enough to the snipers to know what they would be doing at all times. She was the only one who would be capable of sneaking someone in without getting caught. She seemed like a nice enough woman – but if she was truly guilty, then she would be no better than the Legion itself.

Allegra slipped into the lobby, relieved to see it empty. She turned on her Pip-Boy light and started rifling around for anything that would solidify her presumptions. There wasn't anything of note in the lobby and Allegra feared that she would have to wait even longer and maybe find a way into Jeannie May's house instead – until she came across the floor safe. She bit her lip, hands digging in her pockets for some bobby pins. She wasn't the best at lock picking but hoped this would be easy enough.

It took a while to crack the safe, but the fruits of her labour proved worthwhile. With a shaky hand, Allegra pulled out a sheet of paper, her eyes reading over it carefully. She tensed, feeling goosebumps run over her skin. She shouldn't have been so surprised, but it was hard not to be, considering she was holding the fate of one woman as well as her unborn child in her hands. Allegra took a deep breath, feeling her stomach churn. She folded up the contract and slipped into her pocket, as well as taking the contents of the safe with her. No one would be around to miss them, anyway.

Her feelings of guilt quickly dissipated as she exited the motel. There wasn't any need to waste feelings over a woman like Jeannie May, someone capable of being so outwardly fake. It was disgusting. Allegra knocked on her door, idly tapping her foot as she heard someone stir. In a matter of seconds, Jeannie May emerged, rubbing her tired eyes before slipping on her glasses.

"Goodness, it's late! But it's very nice to see you! What can I do you for?" she asked, a small lopsided smile on her face, her tiredness still evident.

Allegra's face scrunched up in momentary distaste, but it was gone as fast as it came. She shook her head. "I know! And I'm just _so _sorry! But there's something going on at the motel! You need to come see it!"

The proprietor of the motel raised a brow and shrugged, "Well, alright, whatever it is, I hope it's good."

Allegra held back a scoff as she let Jeannie May lead the way. Falling back, she slipped on the red beret and followed closely behind. Her heart began to race as she skipped forward, directing the woman passed the motel gates and instead, in front of the dinosaur.

"Oh, no! Look, it's over here now!" Allegra cried, waving her arms in the air as she beckoned Jeannie May over. She blindly followed, picking up the pace.

Looking around, she narrowed her eyes, looking into the distance, "I don't see anythi-"

A single, ear piercing shot rung through the air.

Eyes clamped shut, Allegra opened them to see Jeannie May sprawled over the cracked pavement, blood streaming from a single bullet hole at the side of her head. She looked up at the dinosaur, a long barrel retreating into the mouth of the cast iron reptile. Giving another passing glance at Jeannie May, Allegra shook her head, pulling off the beret as she made her way up to meet Boone.

"Well, it's done," she said, her voice quiet as she approached him. She pulled out the folded piece of paper and held it out to him.

Boone stood, his back to her, shaded eyes gazing off into the Mojave. "Hah. I guess it is."

He turned to face her, taking the paper from her. He unfolded it, scanning the words quickly before crushing it in his hand. "Well, that's that. Thanks."

Allegra was almost surprised at how terse he was, but decided not to mention it. This was probably a huge deal for him, but he probably wasn't looking for bells and whistles. "Yeah. So what next?"

She could see him squint at her behind his glasses. "I don't know, why are you asking me?"

She shook her head, chuckling. "Not for me. I know what I have to do. I mean you. You gonna stick around here?"

Boone thought for a moment. The person who sold his wife and child was dead. There wasn't really any use in staying around Novac anymore – was there? Sure, he was secure here. He had a place to live and a job, but there were too many bad memories. His best bet would probably be to leave, maybe start somewhere new. But he didn't deserve that. It would be too easy. He didn't deserve easy – or at least that's what he would tell himself every time he was in a dark place with no company but a pistol and a single bullet.

If he was going to die, he would die killing the people who took away anything he ever cared about.

"I'm probably going to pack my things, get out of here and kill every Legion bastard until I get what's coming to me," he said with ease.

To be honest, he had been thinking about it for a while, but now he had no reason to stay in Novac, now that he's tied up all his loose ends.

Allegra gaped at him, the image of one Vulpes Inculta flashing in her mind. The things he had said to her – the things he had done to those people…

"You can't seriously be considering taking on the Legion alone," she said, raising a brow at him.

"What's it to you?" he questioned. It wasn't any of her business anyway.

"…Nothing, I mean…" Allegra trailed off, realizing that he could do whatever he wanted to do. She had no reason to influence or judge any of his choices. However, she couldn't help but think it would be pointless for him to go on a suicide mission, regardless of what he thought. "I mean… Don't you think you could be better off doing something else?"

He scoffed, setting down his rifle to cross his arms, "Yeah? Like what?"

She paused.

"Uh, I don't know. Maybe you could tag along with me. Our goals aren't too different after all… I'm looking for a guy who put a bullet in my head so I can return the favour. You want to kill a bunch of Legion. We both want people dead. I'm sure we'd both have better luck in the long run if there's two of us."

Boone thought for a moment. She had a point, but then again, he knew nothing about her. Sure, she was able to keep true to her word but was she any good in combat? "I'm not going to be your babysitter."

Allegra let out a small laugh. "You? Babysit me? No worries – I'm pretty sure if I can handle getting shot in the head, I can handle your average Mojave survival situations. I came up here from Goodsprings all by myself with only a few scratches. The last thing you'll have to worry about is little old me."

Of course, she was exaggerating a bit, but whatever mistakes she made before would be easily corrected now that she had more supplies and experience. Boone wasn't budging. Allegra heaved a sigh.

"Look, we can part ways whenever we feel like, alright? This isn't some contract deal, it's just you, me and the Mojave. If you feel like I'm too much work, then leave. If I get sick of your big tough guy act then I'll make my own path. You probably think you'd be better off on your own, but you never know when you'll need someone to watch your back," she reasoned.

The stoic sniper let out a deep breath. "Fine. We'll leave tomorrow night."

Allegra smiled a bit, nodding. "Alright. That's good with me. I'll… See you tomorrow night then."

Boone turned back around, picking up his rifle again. "Yeah, tomorrow."

She slept without incident that night. Perhaps because she felt as if she had done something good for her karma. Gave someone what they deserved.


End file.
